At least two communities in Moore County have the word “Springs” in their names.

In each case, the community has a spring whose waters are said to have healing properties.

Eagle Springs, a community in western Moore County, was settled about 1890 and was named for its mineral springs and for the Eagle family, whose members were among the first settlers.

At least, that’s what William F. Powell’s standard reference book, “The North Carolina Gazetteer,” says.

But there are residents of Eagle Springs who are convinced that the name derives from an incident many years ago in which a bald eagle lingered around the mineral springs for several days.

Better known — and more conclusive — is the story of how Jackson Springs, located about four miles southwest of West End, got its name.

Farmers settled the community in 1754. In the late 1700s, one settler, William Jackson, was tracking a wounded deer along a stream when he discovered the spring that came to be named after him.

Jackson recognized that the spring water was “different” — analyses have shown it to contain traces of sulfate of soda, potassium chloride, carbonate of soda, carbonate of lime, sodium phosphate, oxide of iron, and other minerals. He began to advertise it as “a remedy for, and cure of, indigestion in all its forms, particularly dyspepsia and diarrhoeal diseases, kidney and bladder troubles, dropsy, cystitis and all debilitating causes.”

People flocked to the area to try the water, staying in tents and wagons and makeshift shanties. Soon, local people began to take in boarders. One resident, B.F. Buchan, built a small boarding house.

The community grew swiftly. Churches, schools, and a post office were built. Allison Frances “Frank” Page, who had moved to the area from Wake County in 1879, built a resort hotel in partnership with John Blue and John Currie. By 1900, the hotel had been enlarged to 100 rooms. On 800 acres of land owned by the three partners, hotel guests could hunt, fish, ride horses, play golf, bowl, play tennis and croquet. There was also a dance pavilion. A spur railroad line from West End carried half-gallon and gallon bottles of the spring water from Page’s bottling plant. A savings and loan, a pharmacy, a department store, a hardware store, a cotton gin, a dry goods store and the Jackson Springs Sanitarium opened.